The phrase “Mexican food” is doing a lot of work for a country that spans 31 states, dozens of indigenous culinary traditions, five distinct climate zones, two coastlines, and 3,000 years of agricultural history. What you eat in the Yucatan has almost nothing in common with what you eat in Baja. What is served in Jalisco would not be recognized as the same cuisine in Oaxaca.
The resorts sit in four of the most distinctive culinary regions in the country. This is a guide to the dishes that define each one.
Baja California: The Ocean and the Desert on the Same Plate
Baja’s food identity was shaped by isolation. Until the Transpeninsular Highway opened in 1973, the peninsula was largely cut off from the rest of Mexico, which meant the cooking evolved from what was available: the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Cortez, desert plants, ranching culture, and the missions that brought olives, wine grapes, and wheat in the 18th century.
The Baja fish taco is one of Mexico’s great contributions to the world. The original is a flour or corn tortilla holding beer-battered white fish with shredded cabbage, a Mexican crema, pico de gallo, and lime. The fish is crisp outside and soft inside, and the combination of textures is the thing. The other dish worth knowing: aguachile, Baja’s more aggressive answer to ceviche, raw shrimp in blended chile serrano and lime, cured briefly and served with cucumber and red onion. If you are in Loreto, order the chocolate clam on the half shell. The Sea of Cortez produces them almost exclusively.
Jalisco and Nayarit: The Origins of Dishes the World Has Just Discovered
Birria began in Jalisco as a braised goat dish served at celebrations, cooked in a complex red chile and spice broth that takes all day to develop. The version that has become internationally famous folds the braised meat into a tortilla dipped in cooking fat, griddled until crisp, and served with the broth for dipping. That version exists in Puerto Vallarta in a form that has nothing to do with what gets served at food trucks elsewhere. The broth alone is worth the trip.
While you are there, order the smoked marlin tostada: shredded smoked marlin with tomato, onion, chile, and avocado on a crisp tostada finished with lime. Simple, regional, and something you will look for at home and not find.
TIP: Pozole in September to celebrate Mexico´s Independence anniversary is always a hit. The 3 types of pozole which match the colors of the Mexican flag: Red Pozole, White Pozole and Green Pozole are very typical dishes for this time of the year.
The Yucatan: A Cuisine Built on Ancient Knowledge
Cochinita pibil is the defining dish of Yucatan food. Pork shoulder marinated overnight in achiote paste and sour orange juice, wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-roasted underground for hours until the meat falls apart. The result is a deep red-orange with a flavor that is earthy, bright, and complex in a way that takes the full day of cooking to develop. Served on a small tortilla with pickled red onions and habanero salsa, it is one of the great dishes of the world. End the evening with a marquesita: a crisp rolled wafer filled with Edam cheese and cajeta. Trust the process.
Loreto: What the Fleet Brought In This Morning
The Loreto region’s culinary identity is direct and honest. A taco de dorado, mahi-mahi pulled fresh from the Sea of Cortez and grilled over mesquite on a flour tortilla with avocado and grilled onion, is the dish that defines the place. When the fish was caught that morning and the tortilla was pressed an hour ago, this simple taco becomes something you will spend time trying to explain to people who were not there.
September is the right month to eat across all of these traditions. The Flavors of Mexico culinary programming at every resort this month brings these dishes into the kitchen sessions and onto the tasting menus. Ask the chef where the ingredients came from. The story behind the food is half the flavor.
